Don’t waste a drop: sustainability and waste reduction in vineyards

There are many proverbs that are people in the wine world follow, and one of the most important is “waste not, want not”.

From each and every grape, from seedling to the last drop, something can be squeezed to its utmost.

In the vineyard, vine cuttings and trimmings are collected and composted to nourish the soil. Old vines that have reached their end of grape growing life, are dried then burnt, and the ashes added to the soil, to provide an excellent source of potassium and lime which are helpful for budding vines.

Grape seeds can be pressed to make grapeseed oil which has a very high smoke point which makes it ideal for sautéing. Grapeseed oil is great for making salad dressings as it is quite neutral in flavour. It’s considered a healthy oil in that it can help lower one’s cholesterol. In cosmetics, grapeseed oil has moisturising, astringent and antiseptic properties, so it is quite often used in sunscreens, creams and massage oils.

WholeVine and SonomaCeuticals, a projectstarted by Barbara Banke, chairwoman of Jackson Family Wines, out of a keen interest in sustainable production practices, makes a type of flour from grape seeds and has found that each grape varietal produces a flour with a distinctive flavour.

And what is one to do with all that leftover must (the skins, stems and pulp) after the grapes have been pressed, fermented then strained?